SUMMER 2023 is officially the Summer of Sober following research, conducted by ourselves, which revealed over a third of Brits (37%) have considered giving up alcohol this year.
We surveyed 1,000 UK adults aged 18 to 65 to investigate the reasons behind the growing teetotal trend.
According to the research, 43% of Brits believe there is considerably less stigma around making the decision to go sober this year than there was five years ago. Gone are the days of your friends telling you you’re ‘going soft, mate’ or ‘don’t be boring’ when you order a soft drink at the bar.
As a result of this, millennials are feeling the most comfortable with the decision to ditch the booze, with more than half (52%) admitting they’ve considered going sober on some or all of their social occasions in the past year, compared to just 30% of Boomers and 36% of Gen Z.
Brits’ priorities are changing in 2023, with 47% of people surveyed saying the reason they’re in favour of living a life without alcohol is to focus on improving their overall health. Other reasons include saving money (34%) and unsurprisingly, to avoid a hangover (24%).
For the younger generation, ‘hangxiety’ is a dreaded consequence of a night out, with 18% of Gen Z and 28% of Millennials admitting this would be one of the main reasons they’d quit drinking, compared to just 5% of Boomers.
Despite the growing teetotal trend, the research shows over a quarter (29%) of Brits feel it’s hard to find a tasty non-alcoholic drink when ordering from a bar and whatever they do choose, leaves them disappointed.
Jayne Andrews, our Marketing Director says: ‘Although its clear sober curiosity is on the rise in 2023, it’s interesting to see many people are still struggling to find an exciting, tasty non-alcoholic option when ordering at the bar. But with Fentimans, gone are the days of being stuck with the lime and soda you’ve panic ordered.
“We strongly believe choosing a soft drink shouldn’t mean you have a second rate drink on your night out. Our range of Botanically Brewed beverages may contain no alcohol, but they more than make up for that in taste. They pack a punch on their own, but also spruce up mocktails as well.”
To rescue Brits suffering from bar panic, we offer a range of expertly crafted soft drinks that have a taste far from boring. From our best-selling Rose Lemonade to the number one premium Ginger Beer, there’s an option to satisfy every palette.
1All data is based on a nationally representative survey conducted by Find Out Now of 1,000 adults in the UK, from 1st – 2nd August 2023.